Instinción

The municipality of Instinción is approximately 36.48 km2 and lies in the Middle Valley area of Andarax. The village lies near the left bank of the river Andarax though somewhat higher. The municipality is bordered on the north by Alboloduy, to the south by Felix, and the West by Canjáyar and Ragol.

 The town sits within the Betic area of the Sierra de Gador and Sierra de los Filabres, which is a very varied land, rising from the river valley to Instincion itself, at an altitude of 438 metres, and 34km from Almeria.

The municipality of Sierra de Gador reaches a height of 1,365 metres, and the Sierra de los Filabres, towards Montenegro, has an altitude of 1,710 metres.

Many of the houses in the town were built in the Burgos style, though most are in the characteristic Arabic style seen around Almeria, The town is presided over by a fine Mudejar church.

Although there is no evidence of Roman origin, it is evident that there was a Muslim farmhouse here, in the Middle Ages. During the period of Al-Andalus the town was named Estançihum, and in the Nazari period it was part of the taha de Marchena.

With the Christian conquest of the late fifteenth century, the Catholic Monarchs give all the Marchena taha to Don Gutierrez de Cardenas and Chacon.

Before the War of the Alpujarras (1568-1570), Instinción had a Moorish population of around 90 residents, with a few Christians. After the war the area became depopulated but was later repopulated by people from east, Extremadura, Cadiz and Zamora,to a total of 84 residents.

The seventeenth and eighteenth centuries saw a gradual rise in population, according to the Ensenada Cadastre of mid-eighteenth century, Instinción already had 548 inhabitants.
In the first third of the nineteenth century, with the abolition of the feudal system in 1835, Instinción was granted legal and administrative independence. In later years, and throughout the area, there began the cultivation of Ohanes grapes which saw an economic development which was very important for the town. In 1877 the population grew to 1,742 inhabitants, in 1910 there were still 1,504 people, but the decline was evident as the markets closed due to a European crisis, and drought and the Civil War curtailed development in the area.

Today, farming consists of the cultivation of citrus fruits and “apinera” grapes, combined with horticulture and other fruit.

Natural Park of Sierra Nevada

Monuments

Parish Church of San Juan Bautista, sixteenth century. Mudejar style.

Gastronomy

Sausages. Alpujarra fried dish. Choto cabañil, cooked with garlic. Onions with pork liver. Tabirnas colours (potato stew with red peppers, onions and garlic). And of course grapes.

Sweets: Roscos (mainly at Semana Santa, or Easter. Soplillos, (egg and almond.) Honey muffins. Donuts.

Directions

Exit Almeria Almeria Huércal direction, continue on highway 340. Follow direction: Almería - E-15 - N-340 - Nijar - Murcia. At the roundabout, take exit 1 Continue: A-92A in the direction: A-92 - Benahadux - Guadix. Continue along: A-92A, follow signs to Benahadux. Continue along: A-348. Pass Alhama de Almeria and continue, passing close to Illar. Follow signs to Instinción.

Distances